Posted by It's Your Wallet
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 5, 2012 at 9:05 am

I urge all people of the Tri-Valley to please patronize Raley's during this strike. Raley's has to remain competitive. Hence, this is not an issue of the union versus Raley's. It is an issue of the union versus you. If the union wins, your grocery prices will increase even more rapidly than they would otherwise.

I am not associated with Raley's, I am just a regular Pleasanton resident with no connections to this issue. However, I am smart enough to realize that unions continue to significantly hurt the economy of California and our country. I am getting sick and tired of union workers vacuuming my wallet for compensation and benefits beyond what they would get in a competitive economy.

So, do the right thing, and walk right past the pickets and buy your groceries. It's the unions vs. your wallet.

I am sick and tired of the unions treating their members like drones. Wise up union members, the goons have been using us for years, it's time to think for yourselves, sucking money out of your checks under the guise of protecting and representing you is a standing joke, that is why prop. 32 is going down, we have had it, I am going to give myself a raise tomorow, I am going to vote yes on 32

I am just back from Raley's. ONly two picketers...one at each end of the store, outside. As I entered, one asked me if I would support the strike and when I said no, he nodded and wished me a good day. The store is practically empty..no lines at the check-out...and yes, only the meat department workers are on strike. Good day to shop there.

Posted by Pleasantonian
a resident of Mission Park
on Nov 5, 2012 at 12:22 pmPleasantonian is a registered user.

Well, they must have known the TV cameras were coming because I just left the store and there were about 7-8 picketing. And not one face that I recognized from our meat department. Please support Raley's during the strike.

Posted by Steve
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 6, 2012 at 7:07 am

Well, you are all partially right, and wrong. As usual you've mixed up the facts of a situation to fit your own particular view of how things 'ought to be'. This one is no different. Reminds me of my wife. Constantly complaining that she doesn't understand why I'm just not living my life according to her perfectly logical demand for absolute conformance.

So from my view, there are two categories to consider. Category 'A' (them) and category 'B' (us).

For category 'A', it is true that big business is making billions of dollars from our purchasing. They continuing to move themselves further into their elite world, leaving everyone else to just 'tough it out'. These are indeed the Bankers, Wall Street, big Tech companies and giant retail chains like Walmart. These are also industries that do not have unions.

Then there's category 'B', other businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, hotels and even chain grocery stores are not rolling in the dough. This is where most of us work and they are just holding their own. Many have and are still going under. The process is slow as they slip away, one by one. One hardly even notices it. These seem to be the industries that do have unions.

Since 2008, business competition is fierce. Profits are small. Until the economic prosperity that we all enjoyed prior to 2008 returns, category 'B' folks will continue to suffer.

This brings us to the reality of living. While I can rage and rant at category 'A's prosperity over me, and how unfair it is, hate them for it, I still have to live in the real world and keep feeding the family.

I clearly understand that unions want to leave the 'B' area of life behind and elevate themselves up to the 'A's. In spite of all the rhetoric of hating the 'A' folks, in reality they love them. They want to be one of them. And I say they should try and go for it. But I do not support their improvement by denying a more sustainable life for myself.

Business must make a profit or there is no business. Every time the union extracts higher wages or benefits for themselves, the cost of living for the rest of the 'B' group goes up. Every time they scream that they only want equality, that they just want to maintain their working conditions, the rest of us pay their cost. We pay their cost through higher prices at the stores where we must shop, as well as us having to listed to what sounds like spoiled children throwing a tantrum - Its Not Fair!

Given the current state of the economy, I don't think I will support the selfishness of a few, against the penalty it forces upon the many. They're right - Its Not Fair!

Posted by rob
a resident of California Reflections
on Nov 7, 2012 at 11:21 am

I worked produce in Ca. for 22 years in 2000 I moved to Wa. and now deliver bread.
I first worked for Krogers and got journeyman scale but not fulltime and looked for another job thank goodness I found one.

Was telling the pos at the safeway I deliver to about this Raleys thing and how I feel so bad for the employees because just like here(the safeway I was servicing)half of them are starving.He said many of the safeway employees in said store were on food stamps.How sad is that?
What most do not understand is that over the years with each contract the employees have lost just about all they ever had imo.

Used to be you start at 1st apprentice log your hours and in a matter of years you are journeyman and twice a year you could bid for full time.This was back in late 70's early 80's.

Now they have helper clerks,meat counter clerks,non food clerks and so forth all working part time getting their hours cut according to sales but the cooperate still get their fat 6 figures no matter how sales are going.

IMO the best thing for these employees is to look for a second job that hopefully leads to a better carrer and make Raleys their second job and these stores can get what they pay for.Hell even now I say why do they call them helper clerks because they seem brain dead to me.You work in a freakin grocery store isn't rotation synonymous with working in the industry.

One more tidbit(long post huh)I also sevice Wall Mart which is a stones throw from Safeway and I see the Safeway employees shopping there and I joke that I am going to tell Cheri (the Safeway manager as she is anti Wall Mart ) that they are shopping there and the response is when they give me more hours then they will shop at their own store....LOL

When politicians/pundits say the unemployment numbers are stewed because of folks that are underemployed I think of the retail clerks.

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